CIoD Nigeria Calls for Stronger Board Leadership as AI and Economic Shifts Reshape Business

The Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (CIoD) has called for stronger boardroom leadership and oversight as Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainability concerns, changing investment patterns and global economic developments continue to reshape the business environment.

Mr Adetunji Oyebanji, President of CIoD, made the call on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the institute’s 2026 Annual Directors Conference, scheduled to hold on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 in Lagos.

Oyebanji said the conference, themed “Reimagining the Boardroom for Inclusive and Sustainable National Prosperity in the New Economy”, would provide a platform to examine the changing responsibilities facing boards and directors.

He said the evolving business environment required boards to continually reassess how they provide leadership, oversight and strategic direction.

According to him, the conference will focus on strategic competitiveness, entrepreneurial growth, access to capital, AI, board accountability, value creation, collaboration and inclusion.

He said the discussions would bring together directors, business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to examine developments shaping boardrooms and the wider economy.

Dr Waheed Olagunju, Chairman, National Organising Committee, said the conference programme was designed to promote discussions, networking and professional engagement among leaders across different sectors.

Olagunju said the first major session would examine “Strategic Competitiveness Amid Fragmentation and Volatility in a Shifting Global Order”, while another would focus on accelerating entrepreneurial growth through governance, capital access and market expansion.

He said a session on “Board Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” would examine the implications of AI for board oversight and corporate responsibility.

The conference will also feature discussions on boardrooms as engines of value creation, collaboration and inclusion for shared prosperity, alongside a fireside chat on elevating boardroom standards for exemplary corporate conduct.

Olagunju said former Minister of Budget and National Planning and Chairman, Seplat Energy Plc, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, would deliver the keynote address, while President Bola Tinubu had been invited as Special Guest of Honour.

He listed some of the speakers and discussants as Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc; Mrs Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council; and Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, an international lawyer and development finance expert.

Others are Mr Sunny Iroche, AI Strategist; Ms Rabi Isma, Chairperson, ActionAid Nigeria; and Dr Nneka Okekearu, Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University.

Olagunju said the conference would also feature a Business Meets Government Dinner chaired by Dr Umaru Kwairanga, Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group, on Nov. 11.

He said the dinner would focus on “ESG, Sustainability and the Climate Agenda”, with the sub-theme: “Building a $1 Trillion Economy Through Sustainable Capital and Governance”.

According to him, the session is in support of the Federal Government’s vision of growing the Nigerian economy to one trillion dollars by 2030.

Dr Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, Director-General, CIoD, said the Annual Directors Conference remained an important platform for examining issues affecting leadership, governance and decision-making in organisations.

Nolas-Alausa said the new economy presented both opportunities and responsibilities, particularly as AI continues to change how organisations operate.

He added that entrepreneurs required access to capital and markets, while boards were increasingly expected to pay greater attention to sustainability, responsible business practices, competitiveness and accountability.

He said the institute was committed to facilitating informed conversations among those responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight in organisations.